


Together

by TheAuthorGod



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Destiel - Freeform, M/M, Slow Build, Slow Romance, Tolkien AU, Tolkienesque, destiel au, dwarf!Dean, elf!cas, halfdwarf!Dean, hobbit au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 06:56:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2803625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheAuthorGod/pseuds/TheAuthorGod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean doesn’t travel alone so he hires a man to travel with him.  He hadn’t expected the elf to be quite as strange as he turned out to be; but, he found that he wouldn’t have had it any other way.  It seemed that they worked pretty well together.</p><p>Hobbit AU, Destiel AU, Tolkienesque Setting, Middle Earth.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Together

**Author's Note:**

> Are these graphic depictions of violence? Fantasy violence only; nothing gory, no great detail.\
> 
> I do not know a lot about Middle Earth (aka none) so please disregard mentions of geography and places.
> 
> Accompanying Art by me (Only one at the end).
> 
> unBETA'd. unPROOF'd. Sorry for mistakes.

Dean bit his lip. He was unsure if this was the best idea. He slid his flask of ale around on the table top. He had been sipping at it most of the time he had been waiting.  
  
He glanced around the room, still no sign of an elf. He was waiting for an elf to help him get into the Goblin King’s caves. He wouldn’t go alone. He didn’t like travelling alone.  
  
He would have forced his younger brother to go but he had just begun courting Jessica. She had one of the longest and prettiest beards of the ladies Sam’s age. Dean sighed. His father would start pestering him again soon.  
  
Dean didn’t have long to despise his father’s nagging because an elf entered the establishment. He was tall from where Dean sat and wore a blue and tan outfit. Unlike any of the other elves Dean had seen, this one’s outfit lacked the embroidery or intricate patterns he had expected. This elf also had short hair. Dean’s eyebrows furrowed since elves weren’t supposed to have short hair.  
  
The elf approached. “You must be Dean.” He held out his hand. “I am Castiel. I am here per the agreement you sent.”  
  
Nodding, Dean tried not to stare. The elf’s short hair made it easier to see his long neck. “I am. Do you want your payment now, later, or in installments?”  
  
Castiel narrowed his eyes. “Half now, half later.” His lips moved around the words like he said them a lot.  
  
Dean reached into his pack and retrieved a velvet bag. He handed it over. “That is half of your payment.”  
  
The elf pocketed the money. “I will ask no questions of you if you ask no questions of me.” He stood and began to make his way to the door. “We should go; we can get a head start before dusk today.”  
  
Strapping his flask onto his belt, Dean followed.  
  
\---  
  
Castiel stopped near a stream a few hours later. “We will spend the night here.”  
  
Dropping his pack, Dean surveyed the area. “What makes this spot better than any of the others?”  
  
Stooping to pick up a river rock, Castiel cocked his head. “No reason.” He paused. “Must there be a reason?”  
  
Shaking his head, Dean began to set up for the night. “No, I was just wondering if there was one.”  
  
Dean gathered things for a fire and began there. After the fire was lit, he set out his bedroll and unrolled the second one for Castiel. He had included in the contract that the elf would need no accommodations.  
  
Castiel had made various circles with the river rocks and used sticks to draw words into their soft ground centers. He stood and admired his work. “I will wash now.” He pivoted to look at Dean. “Will you keep watch or will you wash as well?”  
  
Standing to his full height, Dean thought momentarily. “I will wash.”  
  
They made their way to the stream. It was wide enough that Castiel could lay lengthwise across it but the deepest part only came to their belly buttons.  
  
Castiel washed with diligence, gently pouring water over his arms and hair. Dean dunked himself under the water and shook out his hair. The silence was deafening. Dean was used to Sam’s company, company filled with talk and laughter, company that wouldn’t shut up.  
  
“I thought elves kept their hair long.” Dean used a brush from his pack to pull leaves from the ends of his hair. He undid then redid the braids at his ears and in his beard.  
  
Castiel kept his back to Dean. “I thought dwarves were shorter.” He said it so matter-of-factly that Dean didn’t realize what he had said until a long moment passed.  
  
“Ha! You should see my brother.” Rubbing at a patch of dirt on his chest, Dean stared at his reflection in the water. “They are. My mother was not a dwarf.”  
  
Castiel turned in the water. “Even if you give an answer does not mean that I am obligated to do so as well.”  
  
It wasn’t a question; so, Dean did not respond. They finished their wash returned to the site Castiel had chosen. Castiel was the first to speak, “Who will take the first watch?”  
  
“I will.” Dean sat next to the fire and ate some of the food he had packed. He offered some to Castiel.  
  
Castiel took it. “I thank thee.”  
  
They ate in silence.  
  
“You don’t talk much.”  
  
“It surprises me that you question things without asking questions.” Castiel turned his eyes on Dean; his eyes were not angry or upset. He seemed to simply be making an observation.  
  
Dean smirked. “I am the son of an ambassador.”  
  
“Ah, yes.” Castiel turned to Dean more. “Are you easily recognizable?”  
  
Snorting, Dean rolled his eyes. “How would I know?”  
  
Castiel inspected Dean’s face. “You are right, you would not. I think that you must be. You facial features are quite different than most. That must make you very recognizable.”  
  
Dean blinked. “What are you saying?”  
  
Sniffing in a long breath, Castiel moved to the longer sleeping roll and crawled inside. “I’m saying that we must change that.”  
  
\---  
  
Dean opted to follow Castiel; because Castiel knew the way but also because he could get away with staring at him from behind. Castiel had broad but soft shoulders and his hair was dark brown. The way he moved made Dean jealous, his outfit didn’t jump or jitter when he took steps it simply flowed forward like a spirit or ghost, perhaps flapped silently in a wayward breeze.  
  
Castiel was startlingly pretty. He was pale but not elfish-pale, closer to human-pale which could be consider dark for elves but laughable for dwarves.  
  
Dean had seen Castiel’ body without clothing as well. While Dean had washed twice since the onset of their journey, Castiel had chosen to wash at every convenience. He had been quite upset when they were forced to leave a particular campsite before his wash because of trappers.  
  
“We will stop and have my colleague make you less conspicuous. This has taken a day from our trek but should not be a problem.”  
  
Castiel hadn’t turned so Dean didn’t look away from the graceful sway of his ass to and fro. He commanded attention without being obnoxious. It was refreshing after spending months with no one but dwarves.  
  
Dean hiked his pack further up onto his back. “Who is this colleague of yours?”  
  
Castiel paused and looked at Dean. “You will know soon enough. He lives at the bottom of the next hill. We will stay there for the night and replenish your pack with food.” Castiel trod on.  
  
\---  
  
Dean shucked his pack when Castiel knocked on the door for a third time. “Perhaps he isn’t home.”  
  
Castiel’s eyes narrowed at the door. It was the first time Dean saw any strong emotion on his face. “He is home; he is simply enjoys making people wait, especially those in a hurry.”  
  
Dean’s eyebrows furrowed. “But we are not in a hurry. We are staying the night.”  
  
The door swung open to reveal another elf. This one was very different than Castiel. He had gold-bronze hair that hung down to his mid thigh and gaudy robes, covered in lace and embroidery. Dean wondered if this other elf made up for all of the elfness that Castiel lacked.  
  
“Hello, Cassie.” The elf strode forward and enveloped Castiel in a long hug. “Long time no see.”  
  
“I saw you just a month ago.” Castiel deadpanned even more so than usual. Dean thought his response was humorous but chose not to laugh.  
  
“That is a long time for me.”  
  
“Wrong.”  
  
“You hurt me so.” The elf covered his heart with his hands and mocked sadness. “No matter, who is this friend of yours?”  
  
Dean had always been taught that elves despised dwarves but these two elves seemed very kind. “I am Dean.” He bowed. “I have been told we are in need of services you offer.”  
  
The elf turned to Castiel. “And what services might those be?”  
  
Castiel pushed into the elf’s house. Dean hesitated before following. Gabriel closed the door and gestured in a sweeping motion to the room. “Please make yourselves comfortable.”  
  
Dean sat but Castiel did not. “We are travelling north. Northerners are crueler to dwarves than southerners, could you work your ‘magic’ on him to ease our journey?”  
  
Eyes bugging out, Dean shot up straight. “You are a warlock?”  
  
The elf waved his hands in a grand gesture of ‘please settle’. “No. I am Gabriel; I am a stylist.”  
  
Dean turned furrowed eyebrows on Castiel. “A stylist?”  
  
“Yes. Stylists make hair and clothes presentable when the person is too lazy to do so themselves.”  
  
Huffing, Dean’s glare hardened. “I am presentable. I am not lazy in my appearance.”  
  
Castiel’s face turned soft around the edges and his eyes took on a different glint. “No, you are not.” His voice had softened too.  
  
Dean felt his frustration and suspicion melt away. “Then why are we using a stylist’s skills?”  
  
Moving closer, Castiel set a hand on Dean’s shoulder. “He will make you look human, at least, human enough to get through the northlands.” Castiel left his hand on Dean’s shoulder when he turned to Gabriel. “He is a good height; he will only take minimal work.”  
  
Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest. “We will have to trim his beard and hair.”  
  
“What?!?” Dean’s stance shifted to a steady attack and defense position. His hands rose up in fists. “My hair is fine.”  
  
Flipping around his hands again, Gabriel rolled his eyes. “For a dwarf? Yes. In fact, I would say your hair is quite lovely. But if you are going to make a trek through the northlands, it would be best to not look that dwarfish.”  
  
Dean turned to Castiel.  
  
Squeezing his shoulder, Castiel smiled small and sad. “It will grow back.”  
  
Dean looked at his fists before sighing and shrugging his shoulders.  
  
Castiel turned back to Gabriel and made a gesture to Dean with his other hand. “Have at Gabriel. Don’t get too carried away. He will be traveling with me.”  
  
Gabriel rolled his eyes and flipped his hair over his shoulder in a dramatic gesture. “You take the fun out of everything, Cassie.”  
  
\---  
  
Dean bit his tongue when Gabriel shaved his beard and sideburns. He trimmed his eyebrows and cut his hair. He wished that Castiel were in the room to tell him if Gabriel was doing it right, if he really looked human.  
  
Then Gabriel ushered Dean toward a large basin of water. It was warm and smelled like flowers.  
  
Dean stood beside the basin and wrinkled his face at the concoction. “What is this?”  
  
“It is a bath. It is how humans with coin wash.” Gabriel took Dean’s coat and clothing. “Hop in.”  
  
Stepping in, Dean cringed at the warmth. It felt a little like stepping into a vat of piss. The smell of flowers helped to hurry that fear away. “It is relaxing.”  
  
Gabriel groaned. “I am a stylist not a spa. Clean yourself then get out.”  
  
Dean dunked himself like usual. He stood up and whined. The water stung his eyes unlike the usual water he used.  
  
“You are an idiot.”  
  
Dean heard a scuffle then felt a towel pushed to his hands.  
  
“Wipe your eyes.”  
  
Doing so, Dean began to squint at Gabriel through tears. “I was not expecting that.”  
  
“I can tell.” Gabriel deadpanned in a way that reminded Dean of Castiel. It made him wonder what Castiel was doing. Perhaps walking around or sitting. He might be resting already or taking a bath in a basin like the one Dean was in.  
  
Dean’s thoughts raced toward that. They danced around the idea of Castiel wet and naked in a basin leaning back and closing his eyes. His lithe chest stretched out under the water.  
  
A towel slapped against the side of Dean’s face.  
  
Gabriel smirked mockingly. “I don’t care what you’re thinking about or that you’re thinking it; but, you probably don’t want me to know how excited it’s making you. Must I remind you that you are naked?”  
  
Dean’s face grew hot while he willed his erection to go down.  
  
Gabriel just snickered and carried on like nothing had happened.  
  
\---  
  
Dean shifted in the new clothing, uncomfortable. It wasn’t that much different than his usual attire except that it was lighter. But it wasn’t the only thing that was lighter. Dean’s entire head felt like it might float away without all the extra weight that his beard and hair usually added.  
  
He swallowed.  
  
The door opened and Gabriel made a sweeping motion for Castiel to enter. When Castiel was in the door frame, he paused. He looked over Dean. His eyes traveled from his head to his foot then up again but slower. His eyes lingered at Dean’s now shaven jaw line.  
  
Dean’s face reddened in embarrassment. He probably looked like a bird without feathers, or worse. “So, human enough?”  
  
Castiel crossed the room and reached out for Dean’s face. His hand touched Dean’s jaw and Dean took in a quick breath.  
  
As quickly as the moment came, it went. Castiel retracted his hand and turned toward Gabriel before addressing the room. “This is acceptable.”  
  
Gabriel crossed his arms over his chest. “Acceptable? Honey, he could be mistaken for an elf with features like those.”  
  
Dean didn’t see Castiel’s expression but Gabriel did and he sobered up quick.  
  
“We will stay here for the night since it is nearly dusk. We will restock your pack and leave just after dawn.” Castiel didn’t look at Dean for the remainder of the night. He slept on the bed across the room and faced the wall the entire night. It left Dean staring at Cas’ neck and wondering if Gabriel had cut his hair too and why?  
  
\---  
  
Castiel kept falling behind. Dean wasn’t sure why. They had started out the day’s hike with a replenished pack and a full night’s sleep; but, Castiel kept lagging behind.  
  
Dean was getting frustrated with his lack of entertainment. He had gotten used to watching Castiel interact with nature. He had gotten used to watching his body move like fluid through the trees.  
  
“Who was your mother?”  
  
Dean stopped and turned to Castiel. Castiel was looking at the ground with his jaw set.  
  
Scoffing, Dean turned and continued in the direction Castiel had indicated that morning. “You have yet to answer my question. I feel no ‘obligation’ to answer yours.”  
  
A small growl emanated from Castiel. Dean started to walk again and smirked at the trail ahead of him.  
  
“I like short hair.”  
  
Dean rolled his eyes. “That is not the only reason. Even if now it is simply by preference, it had to have been cut a first time and the first time was not simply for preference.”  
  
Castiel huffed. “You are too smart. I am used to travelling with brutes without brains.”  
  
“Don’t worry, I’m not that smart. You can consider me like the rest of those brutes.” Dean touched the trunk of one tree when he passed. It was rough against his hand and made him smile.  
  
“I have trouble thinking of you as just another brute.”  
  
Dean didn’t know what to say to that so he said nothing. The silence was heavy and electrified by something more than companionship.  
  
“I was banned from my home town. When they threw me out, they cut my hair as a symbol of my status.” There was a pause. “My parents were killed in a useless battle. I had lashed out at their commanding officer. It was dishonorable.”  
  
Dean thought that Castiel might continue so he cut him off. “My mother was a warlock. She was beautiful. She was a Lady of the Lake. She lived with my father for some time until the lake dried up and she burned.”  
  
Silence blanketed them.  
  
“Ask me the second question. I hate being in someone’s debt.”  
  
Dean thought for a moment. “But, I don’t have a good question.”  
  
Castiel huffed again and pushed past Dean. He led the way for the remainder of the day’s journey. When he found a site to stay for the night, he looked to Dean. “Will you be washing?”  
  
Scrunching his eyebrows together, Dean wondered if he needed to without the extra hair. He decided to clean anyway; the skin felt weird since it was covered with dirt and sweat and no hair was there to cover it. “Yes.”  
  
Cas pulled his sword from its sheath and set it on the shore close to where he took his bath. “Bring your own weapon, we are approaching the border. We must be more careful.”  
  
Pausing, Dean collected his axe and his sword to set them also on the pebbled shore. “Would it be smarter to wash separately, then?”  
  
Castiel stilled. “That would be smart.”  
  
Nodding, Dean sat on the bank cross-legged just out of reach of the shallow water. He lifted Castiel’s sword and read over the engravings that he could. Some of the engravings were in High Elvish so he couldn’t decipher them; but, Dean, as the son of a Lady of the Lake and an ambassador, had been taught many languages since he was little. He didn’t have a knack for speaking them like Sam did; but, he could read an entire manuscript in the time it took Sam to translate a single chapter.  
  
Dean read the inscription: This sword belongs to The Fallen.  
  
He called over to Castiel. “Your name means fallen.”  
  
Castiel’s head snapped up and back. One of his hands was in his hair and the other was paused where it had been scooping water. “You can read Elvish?”  
  
Dean looked back down at the sword. “Can I call you Cas?”  
  
Both of Cas’ hands fell to his sides. “That means ‘to fall’. Why would I want to be called ‘to fall’?”  
  
“Your actual name means ‘to fall’.”  
  
“Yes, but it is my name.”  
  
Dean sighed. “Cas can also mean ‘to ebb’.” He stroked the blade. “The ebbing of water is beautiful. The name suits you.”  
  
Dean didn’t look up. He felt his face heat up but not as much as any time before in Cas’ presence.  
  
There was sudden movement in the water. Fearful that something was attacking them during his moment of carelessness, Dean looked up. Instead of robbers or marauders, he was faced with Cas’ back. His ears and shoulders were tinged red.  
  
Dean felt something light and fluffy fill his chest. He smiled. He’d take that as a yes.  
  
\---  
  
“Cas?”  
  
“Mmm?”  
  
The stars were out and countless over their heads. Dean had taken to looking for familiar constellations while he kept watch. “I have my second question now.”  
  
Cas rolled over in his bedroll and blinked his eyes lazily at Dean. “If you ask me this question right now, your watch will be extended by an hour.”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Dean nodded his assent to the terms. “Yeah, yeah. Can elves grow beards?”  
  
Blinking at him slowly, Cas held a look of tired judgment. “You’re going to waste your second question on that.”  
  
“It’s not a waste. I have never seen an elf with a beard; I was wondering if it was possible.”  
  
Cas rolled back over and away from Dean. “I am not letting you waste your question on that.”  
  
“But I want to waste my question on that.”  
  
“I’m going to sleep.”  
  
Dean waited. Cas’ breathing slowed but it wasn’t the pace Dean had come to associate with Cas’ sleep. Dean rubbed his jaw. The skin he found instead of his beard was still surprising but he was getting used to it.  
  
Sitting up, Castiel shifted his bedroll closer to Dean. He stopped shifting when his bedroll was touching Dean’s. Castiel scooted back inside then turned over to look at Dean. “I am not counting this question.”  
  
Raising his eyebrows, Dean was caught by Cas’ eyes. They were blue in normal light; but, when they caught the moonlight like they were, they looked like they were glowing.  
  
“Some elves can grow beards. Most beards are sparse and unsightly. Since we live a long time, we never ‘mature’ enough to grow a full beard. If a man of elfish descent can, it is usually kept trim so that he doesn’t stand out.”  
  
Dean let the information sink in. “But if they all keep it trim, how do you know that some men can grow them?”  
  
Cas looked up at the stars. Dean was temporarily side-tracked by Cas’ neck. It was long and, when he looked at the stars, it pulled taught in all the right places. Dean’s mouth watered. He clenched his jaw and forced his eyes toward the sky.  
  
“I can grow a full beard.”  
  
Trying to imagine Cas with a beard was somewhat humorous. He kept thinking about Cas’ in a dwarf-style beard; and, though that would never be how Cas would keep it, it was the only kind of beard that Dean could bring to mind at that moment.  
  
Dean sighed. “I’m sure you would look awesome with a beard.” When Dean looked down again, Cas was asleep.  
  
\---  
  
Dean was woken before dawn by a swift shaking. “Wake up, Dean!”  
  
Eyes flying open, Dean felt a surge of adrenaline. He listened. His ears, though smaller than most dwarf ears heard very well despite the way they looked. He heard something approaching.  
  
Cas was crouched next to him in a low battle stance. He had his blade drawn and his eyes were narrow. “Sounds like someone on horseback.” Cas stood slowly. He was graceful even when he was ready to do battle.  
  
Dean scrambled up and took hold of his axe. While he was more skilled at blade fights, he didn’t think he could take down a horse with the dull blade he brought. It reminded him that he needed to sharpen it when they next stopped.  
  
From a thicket, two horses emerged each with a rider. Both riders were covered in garish armor. Each hopped from its horse and held his hands up in surrender. “Do not be afraid. We are only passing through.” The closest horseman laid his hands on his head and lifted his helmet.  
  
A full head of long red hair fell from the helmet. The woman shook out her hair and smiled. “Charlie.”  
  
Castiel brought his feet together but did not lower his blade. “We are travelling to the Goblin King.”  
  
“That is not a name, but, okay.” Charlie motioned for her company to take off their own helmet. They did. The other knight removed theirs to reveal a young man. “I am Kevin. We are off to rescue the king’s daughter from their dungeons. Are you on a rescue mission?”  
  
Cas turned to Dean. Dean looked back. Cas didn’t know. It wasn’t a question that Cas had asked; his face betrayed his curiosity in the question’s answer.  
  
“We are going for diplomatic reasons.” Dean wasn’t going to say the real reason; no one needed to know that, not even Sam. He was the son of an ambassador; a diplomatic mission would not seem entirely out of place.  
  
The red head squinted her eyes. “I am going to choose to believe you even though I know you’re lying.” She looked at Dean and Cas then back at the horse. “And while I don’t believe you, I do think that you will not kill us. If you travel with us on horseback, your journey would be significantly shorter.” She looked over their things. “Your things are light.”  
  
Cas looked between the two humans then back to Dean. His face was one of questions.  
  
Dean smiled to Charlie. “Could you give us a moment?”  
  
“Of course. We won’t be behind schedule until after sunrise.” She began checking over her horse. Charlie was pretty, especially for a knight. She had a delicate face and long neck. Not like Cas’ but still attractive. Dean was somewhat surprised that she was knighted; but, he had lived in other places that his father had been ambassador for. He had learned not to judge the traditions and actions of people he hadn’t met or didn’t understand.  
  
Dean steered Cas by the shoulder a careful distance away where he and Cas could still hear the humans but the humans could not hear them. “Do you want to take the offer?”  
  
Cas swallowed and turned his gaze toward the horses. “No.”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Dean poked Cas’ arm. “Why not?”  
  
Cas pushed his lips out in a not-quite-pout. “Horses do not like me.”  
  
Laughing, Dean let out the tense that had been buried in his shoulders since he had awoken. “The knights can handle the horses.”  
  
Looking back to Dean with diluted fear in his expression, Cas shook her head minutely. “I don’t trust them.”  
  
Dean rolled his eyes. “What do you want me to do?”  
  
Cas was quiet for a moment. Dean hadn’t noticed because he hadn’t stood this close to Cas; but, in the boots Gabriel had given him to wear, he was just as tall as Cas. It made him briefly wonder about their height difference when they were both barefoot. He couldn’t remember if they stood to the same height in the stream; but, the stream’s bed hadn’t been even anyway.  
  
“I’ll agree to it if I share a horse with you.”  
  
\---  
  
Dean ended up putting the pack between his front and Cas’ back. Cas was holding onto the horse’s saddle like his life depended on it.  
  
“You’re getting too far again.” Charlie called from the other end of a reign clipped to the saddle behind Dean’s butt. Dean groaned and slowed down again. Charlie had agreed to he and Cas sharing a horse as long as she could keep a hold of the horse too. She didn’t want them leaving with her horse.  
  
Cas leaned back to avoid a leaf falling and ended up pushing his hair into Dean’s nose. Dean tried not to smell it; but, even when Cas moved away, the flowery scent lingered. Dean figured he must have used a version of the stuff Gabriel had doused Dean with during his bath.  
  
Ahead on the trail there was a fallen tree. Dean brought the horse to a stop.  
  
“Why did you stop?” Charlie and Kevin moved the horse beside them. “Oh, a tree? That’s nothing. Hya!”  
  
Charlie dug her heels into the sides of her horse and took off. Luckily she let go of the second reign so that she wouldn’t pull on Dean and Cas’ horse. Dean watched as the horse leapt and cleared the tree by a foot and a half or more. “Wow.”  
  
Dean shifted and secured their things. “You ready?”  
  
Cas shook his head.  
  
Dean waited a beat. “Uh, how about now?”  
  
Cas glared over his shoulder. “I feel like I’m about to fall off when we are only walking; why would I want to have a horse gallop or worse jump?”  
  
Sighing, Dean moved the pack and secured it to the side of the horse. He had been using it as a barrier between his crotch and Cas’ ass. It had been a good thing too; but, they needed to jump over the tree. It was a tall one and it would take them a lot longer to go around it while avoiding the brambles.  
  
“Come on.” Dean scooted forward and wrapped an arm around Cas’ waist. Cas tensed. “I’ll hold you on the horse. Here.” He handed Cas the reign that Charlie had been holding. “Tie this around you. You won’t be going anywhere.”  
  
Cas took a few deep breaths.  
  
“You coming or have I lost my horse?” Dean could see Charlie over the tree.  
  
Dean waved. “We’re coming. Give us a moment.”  
  
Kevin yelled, exasperated. “We don’t’ have a moment.”  
  
Cas scooted back until he was flush against Dean and pulled Dean’s arm further around him. He curled himself until he was burrowed backward into Dean’s chest. “Okay.” It was a small voice that had replied.  
  
“You sure?”  
  
“Just go!”  
  
The yell startled the horse and it took off at a gallop. Dean guided the horse with the reign looped around his free hand to hold up the slack. One of Cas’ hands moved from the saddle to Dean’s arm and squeezed it, hard.  
  
The horse cleared the tree even better than the first horse. On the other side, the horse came to a stop. Kevin urged their horse forward.  
  
“That’s my girl. I figured she could clear it.” She patted the horse’s rump affectionately and took the reign back from Cas’ outstretched hand.  
  
“You mean you didn’t know?!?” Cas exclaimed.  
  
Charlie sighed and rolled her eyes and hands around in a nonchalant gesture.  
  
Cas harrumphed and refused to speak for the rest of the ride; but, he didn’t move away from Dean nor did he let go of Dean’s arm. Dean had to guide the horse one-handed the rest of the way.  
  
\---  
  
They arrived at the entrance to the Goblin King’s tunnels in 4 day’s time. It was a long ride and Cas hadn’t spoken but a syllable at a time around Charlie or Kevin the entire time. He had only had conversations when he had been washing himself and it was only he and Dean.  
  
Dean stopped the horse and tied him to the tree at the edge of the forest. He gave her enough rein to graze in a small circle. Kevin did the same while Charlie reviewed some sort of map.  
  
Dean turned to see Cas making small circles with pebbles and writing High Elvish inside of them. Dean strode over. “What do they say?”  
  
Jumping slightly, Cas turned to Dean. He looked back to the circles and pointed to them one at a time. “Keep. Safe. Well. Luck. Warmth.”  
  
“So they are blessings.” Dean crouched and ran a finger over one. “Have you used the same ones at each camp?”  
  
Cas offered a small smile. “Mostly. I also used ‘dry’ and ‘secluded’ when it was necessary.”  
  
Smiling, Dean stood. “Thank you.” With that, Dean turned back to Charlie.  
  
Charlie pointed to a dark red line on the map. “This is the most direct path to the dungeons.” She unstrapped her helmet from her horse and pulled it on over her head.  
  
Dean hadn’t been itching for dwarf-style clothing the entire time he had been wearing human clothing as much as he was then. He wished he had his heavy wolf skin coat that was impenetrable by arrows and most blades.  
  
Graceful as ever, Cas checked over his sword and various daggers. Dean hadn’t known how many daggers Cas had hidden on his person until a few nights ago when he had decided to sit and sharpen them next to Dean by the fire. He could pull a dagger out of just about anywhere.  
  
Dean unsheathed his blade and looked over it. It was his baby. It was the kind of blade that could go from generation to generation and still be killing it. He’d have to shine her up better later.  
  
Dean was somewhat relieved that none of them believed him when he said he had been going for diplomatic reasons because right about then he would have been trying to talk his way out of it. While Dean was very good at talking his way out of things, it usually ended up with him talking himself into a lot more things.  
  
He lifted his axe from the horse and hid it in a bush near the edge of the horses’ circle.  
  
When he turned back around, Cas was stand directly behind him. “Won’t you be needing your axe?”  
  
Dean swallowed at the face-to-face close proximity to Cas. “It’s too big and clunky to take into the tunnels.”  
  
Tilting his head, Cas glanced over his shoulder. He and Dean had become skilled at finding the distance that puts them out of the humans’ earshot but keeps them within theirs. “Why are we here?”  
  
Dean found something with the way his belt was buckled wrong or not, either way he fiddled with it. “The contract said that you wouldn’t ask questions.”  
  
Cas swallowed. “That was before-”  
  
Charlie rushed over. “We’ve got to go in now.” She points to some gibberish on the map. “It says that you have to leave before dusk or the door closes.” She follows the gibberish with her finger and says, “After dusk the goblins patrol the tunnels and sweep it for intruders.”  
  
Dean furrows his eyebrows at Charlie. “You can read that?” After glancing at Cas, Dean found the same look on Cas’ face.  
  
“Well, yeah.” She nodded then smirked. “It’s a simplistic code that the goblins use. I work with decoding secret messages.” She flipped her hair that was untucked from her armor and helmet. “I know, I’m awesome.”  
  
Charlie motioned for Kevin to walk over. “Kevin and Castiel will file in ahead of us so they can scout; they seem to be the better fighters.”  
  
Making an indignant sound, Dean crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
Immediately, in what had become second nature in the last few weeks, Cas placed a hand on Dean’s crossed arms. The language they had created easily rivaled the one that Dean and Sam had been perfecting for years. From the small action Dean both took comfort from Cas and was reprimanded for being immature.  
  
Cas nodded for both he and Dean. “That is acceptable.”  
  
\---  
  
Charlie held the map with both hands so Dean stayed hyper aware of the tunnel behind them. He was beginning to wish that he had brought his axe. The tunnels were much more spacious than he had first thought.  
  
“So, Castiel, seems like a cool dude.” Charlie peeked over the map at Dean.  
  
Shaking his head, Dean glanced behind them again. “He’s an elf. He’s like that to everyone.”  
  
Charlie rolled her eyes and let her hands drop to her side, the map too. She made what could only be called a dead-pan glare. “So, Castiel, seems like a hot dude.”  
  
Clenching his jaw, Dean shot a side glare at Charlie. “Are you seriously trying to have this conversation right now?”  
  
“Yes.”  
  
Huffing, Dean sheathed the blade. “Fine.”  
  
“Yay!” Charlie made a weird movement; it was like she was trying to contain a squeal of delight but it came out in a wiggling-earthworm-like dance. “So, tell me all about it. Are you cool with the whole interspecies thing? I mean, I kind of figured that you are since you’re okay with the two guy thing. But you being okay with interspecies is a whole dif-”  
  
“I can change my mind, Charlie.”  
  
“-So anyway. You like him?” She panted some from her exertion.  
  
Dean rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I guess.”  
  
Nodding along, Charlie looked up to where Cas and Kevin where stalking long corridor. They were far out of human or elf hearing range; but, Dean could see the graceful steps that Cas made even from the distance. Cas was almost silent when he moved. It was eerie and beautiful.  
  
“I’ve never see a human-elf marriage. If you guys get that far, can I come?”  
  
Dean turned to see an overexcited Charlie. While he liked having conversation, he had become used to Cas’ tendency toward silence over the last three months. The over-talkative being reminded him painfully of home. “Sure.”  
  
Charlie smiled. “Oh, thank you, thank you.”  
  
They lapsed into silence. Finally, Dean felt the need to reciprocate win over his heart and head. “So, you and this Kevin dude? Doesn’t seem likely.”  
  
“That’s because it isn’t, not likely, not ever. Kevin is a good friend; that’s it.” She nodded at her own explanation. “Besides, I’m more into the…” Charlie motioned to her chest. “Feminine persuasion.”  
  
Dean nodded.  
  
Cringing, Charlie seemed to wait for what Dean would say next.  
  
Shrugging, Dean put her out of her anxiety. “I just told you I like a male elf; do you really think I’m going to judge you?”  
  
Charlie scoffed. “Humans can be very hypocritical creatures.”  
  
Dean felt the pang to his heart. He wondered what she would have said if she knew that he was a dwarf.  
  
\---  
  
They made it to the dungeon without incident. It was extremely lucky. Dean secretly thanked Cas for creating the blessing circles. He breathed in and out. That was when his real work began.  
  
He stalked along the cages. They hung on rope above jagged ravines of rocks. He looked over the various inmates, most were asleep. He moved along. He knew what he was looking for about as well as Cas or Charlie would have.  
  
Dean was relying on gut instinct. He walked along the edge.  
  
“What are you looking for?”  
  
Dean jumped but managed to jump away from the cliff instead of toward it. “Don’t do that.” He glared at Cas who had appeared at his shoulder.  
  
Exuding innocence, Cas continued to look at Dean with a questioning expression.  
  
“Shouldn’t you be with Kevin?”  
  
Cas’ face rearranged into a sour look. “He and Charlie are looking for their rescue. I figured that you would need someone to keep you from getting killed.”  
  
“Well, I’ll be fine.” Dean turned away and continued along the ledge. Dean didn’t have to look to confirm; he knew that Cas was following him still. Now that he was attuned to it, he could hear the breath leaving Cas’ mouth on his exhale.  
  
Dean looked into the next hanging cell. Dean though the cells themselves were rather rickety. It would be easy to break one; but, it would also not be best to break one over the jagged rocks. He briefly wondered what he would do if he were stuck in one.  
  
“Who are we looking for?”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Dean turned to glare at Cas. “What makes you think that I’ll answer your question now?”  
  
Cas grabbed his arm. “It would be far more efficient if we were both looking.”  
  
Dean grumbled. “I don’t know, okay.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“I said-”  
  
“I heard what you said.” Cas’ face was covered in horrified astonishment. “Why come in after something that you don’t even know what it is?”  
  
Swallowing, Dean tried to come up with an excuse. He couldn’t. It was a pretty stupid decision really. He had done it on a whim. Sam was courting and he didn’t have a reason to be around anymore. His baby, his brother, was all grown up. He had needed to give himself a purpose. Dean shook his head. “I don’t know.”  
  
Cas’ hand came up to cup his face. He brought it up to meet gaze with his own. “We will get whatever it is you’re looking for.”  
  
A part of Dean thought he already found it. He needed someone to take care of. Cas fit the bill perfectly. At that moment, even with his life in danger and a deadly elf glaring at him, he seriously wished that the journey would never end.  
  
“Dean, Boy Child, is that you?”  
  
Dean turned to the next hanging cell. A dark-skinned woman sat at the edge. She was wearing long white robes like Dean’s mother had; like the withering memories of Dean’s mother did. She was another Lady of the Lake.  
  
“Ma’am?” Cas stepped forward. “Are you who he’s looking for?”  
  
“Dear boy, I hope you didn’t come down here for me. I hope it’s for some girl.”  
  
Dean blushed in embarrassment and looked down, sheepishly avoiding the lady’s eyes.  
  
“Boy, you are exactly like your mother.”  
  
Smirking, Dean looked back up. “You better hope so.”  
  
The woman smiled. “I am Missouri. You and this elf are quite a pair, you know that?”  
  
The smirk Dean had been sporting melted away. It was too dark to see if Cas was blushing; but, Dean thought he heard Cas’ exhale rate quicken.  
  
Missouri’s smile morphed into a frown. “Look out.”  
  
Dean spun around to see a goblin walking down the ledge. Before he could draw his blade, Cas already had his out and had cut the goblin’s head off. “He couldn’t have been completely alone, goblins are pack creatures. Hurry.”  
  
Dean used his blade, still secured in its sheath, to hook the lowest bar of the handing cell on the hilt and crossguard. He pulled the cell over to the ledge when 4 goblins became visible at the end of the long ledge.  
  
“Hurry Dean.” Dean looked at the cage and realized why none of the hostages had broken out; the reeds where held together with hardened tar. There was no in or out, no door.  
  
Dean glanced around looking for another way out. He noticed a helmeted Charlie and Kevin plus one moving in their direction along the ledge. He waved them to leave. He was relieved that even though Kevin hadn’t understood, Charlie had. They began to make their way to the entrance they had used at the far end away from the goblins.  
  
“Dean?” Cas looked at Dean for an answer that Dean didn’t yet have.  
  
Then an idea struck him. He looked down into the ravine. There was a ledge further down that had a large tunnel connected to it. He tried to picture Charlie’s map. It was fuzzy but he thought that it was a way out.  
  
Dean made a split second decision. He turned to Cas. “Do you trust me?”  
  
Cas swallowed. “More than anything.”  
  
He didn’t have time to dwell on it. He hefted Cas into his arms. “Get ready to hang.”  
  
Nodding and hyperventilating, Cas donned a determined expression.  
  
Dean tossed him toward Missouri’s cell. She wasn’t the only person in the cell; but, it would have to be thought about later. “Swing the cell over so I can jump on.”  
  
Cas started to shift his body weight. Missouri caught on and joined in. Dean fastened his sheath to his belt and drew his blade. The first goblins of the new group were upon him.  
  
If there was one thing that Dean knew how to do, it was fight. He swung and slashed in practiced steps. He took the head off of one goblin and sliced the stomach of another. They keeled over the ledge or back onto the others. Dean continued until they were all disabled.  
  
He puffed out a few breaths.  
  
“Dean!”  
  
He turned to see that Cas and Missouri had managed to get enough momentum that Dean could easily jump onto the cell. He did. He grasped at the cross-hatched bars, testing their strength. After he had ensured the cell’s strength, he grappled to the opposite side. The cell’s hanging rope was secured on the opposite side of the ravine on a different ledge.  
  
“I need one of your daggers.” Dean looped his arm into the cage and reached out a hand toward Cas.  
  
Cas flicked a dagger from his sleeve and handed it to Dean.  
  
Dean turned to take aim.  
  
“Ahhh!”  
  
Dean whipped his head back around to see that a new set of goblins were on the ledge. One had grabbed at Cas’ clothing a torn a piece off.  
  
Feeling frantic, Dean tried to line up his shot at the support rope and time it so the cage would land on the ledge below. Dean was about to throw the dagger when the cell shifted and its swinging rhythm changed.  
  
Dean flicked a glance and saw that a goblin had jumped onto the bottommost bar and Cas was kicking at its head.  
  
Taking a breath and praying to anyone that was listening, Dean threw the dagger.  
  
It hit the rope. Not square enough for a clean cut but it only took a second or so for the cell’s weight to snap the remainder.  
  
The cell began to fall through the air. Dean closed his eyes and prayed that they landed on the ledge.  
  
By some miracle they did. It also happened that Cas had kicked the goblin so that it was crushed under the cell’s weight.  
  
Dean had to grapple around to the other side, before hopping down. A part of him wanted to congratulate Cas on surviving his idiotic plan to go into the Goblin King’s dungeon without any idea of anything; but, he didn’t have time. The goblins were beginning to climb down the ravine walls.  
  
Cas had already been hacking at the bars of the cell. The bars gave way and Dean helped Missouri out. The fall had awoken the other cellmates. One was a gruff looking dwarf; he was short even by dwarf standards but buff in places that Dean didn’t think muscle was present. The other was a human, also gruff. He had a no nonsense look about him.  
  
The second one shooed Dean and Cas away from him. “What do I look like? Processed Lumber? Get a move on.”  
  
After that, Dean focused on Cas and Missouri. He pushed them into the cave and hoped that the other two were following. A few minutes later a rumbling sound began. Missouri turned and stopped.  
  
Cas pulled on her arm. “We have to keep moving.”  
  
When Missouri didn’t pick back up again, Dean and Cas turned too. The two other cell mates had managed to lift a boulder-sized rock and throw it into the cave’s wall. It had shattered the wall.  
  
They were hefting it again.  
  
Dean was frozen in place. He could see the goblins crawling toward them.  
  
“Heave.” The human and the dwarf threw the rock into the wall again and the wall caved in, squashing the goblins and sealing off the cave.  
  
The dwarf brushed his hands together. “He and I have been planning how to get out for a while now. That was one of our exit strategies.”  
  
Dean wasn’t sure which god or wizard or spirit was looking over him; but, he was grateful.  
  
\---  
  
Dean was very happy when his hunch had been proven correct and he could see light at the end of the tunnel. “You hoped?!?” Cas yelled after him when Dean split away to scout the outdoors and make sure there wasn’t anything nasty waiting for them.  
  
Shrugging, Dean smiled at Cas. “Die there or die here. Not that much of a choice.”  
  
Cas heaved a large sigh but simply shifted Missouri’s arm where it was slung over his shoulders and continued to help her in her weakened state.  
  
Dean found no threats at the mouth of the tunnel. There was a stream and he doubled back to let the group know. The dwarf and the human quickened to get to water.  
  
“I can take her. I got some water. You go.” Dean slipped Missouri’s other arm over his shoulders and relieved Cas so he could go get water.  
  
Cas offered a small smile filled with pleasant gratitude. It was quickly replaced by irritation. He said one more time before he jogged toward the exit, “You hoped.”  
  
Missouri laughed. “He’s quite a handful; but then again, so are you. How’d you meet him?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“I mean, the two of you are practically promised.” She held out her hand and wiggled her ring finger.  
  
Dean shook his head frantically. “We’re not. Cas and I are just friends.”  
  
Missouri’s face contorted together. “I see.” She frowned. “I just figured that since he came to help you on a mission like this that you guys must have something.”  
  
Dean scoffed. “We do, a contract.”  
  
Shaking her head, Missouri sighed. “I thought perhaps there was more.”  
  
They emerged and Missouri got her share of water too. They rested so that Missouri could regain what strength she could and Cas could map out where they were based on the sun. Dean joined him on the patch of grass and sat with one leg bent on the ground and the other bent with his knee near his chest.  
  
“I’m sorry about putting your life in danger.” Dean stroked the grass near Cas’ hand. He wanted to stroke Cas’ hand; but, he wasn’t sure if that was allowed.  
  
The silence stretched so Dean stopped and looked out into the trees.  
  
Cas moved his hand through the grass near Dean’s hand for a moment. “It’s okay. It was in the contract that my life may be put in danger.”  
  
Letting out a breath, Dean looked to Cas. “So, you know where we are.”  
  
Glancing at the others, Cas produced a small smile. “Yes, I just wanted to let them rest as long as possible. We aren’t far from where we tied up the horses.”  
  
Dean sighed in relief. “Thank the stars.”  
  
“More like ‘thank the sun’.” Cas smirked.  
  
\---  
  
Charlie was much too thrilled that Dean had taken huge risks in evading the goblins. She demanded to be told the whole story. She walked abreast to Dean. “Then what?”  
  
Dean rolled his eyes. “Then Gramps and Dwarfzilla used a big rock to cave in a portion of the wall. The end.”  
  
Pursing her lips, Charlie turned to her and Kevin’s plus one who was riding on one of the horses. “I’m not sure if he is a brilliant story teller or a horrible one.”  
  
The woman on the horse chuckled. “You can always ask for him to tell another.”  
  
Dean shot a desperate look to Cas who was walking on his opposite side. Cas wasn’t paying attention though.  
  
His and Cas’ party of two then party of four with the addition of Kevin and Charlie had suddenly become a party of eight. There was still he, Cas, Charlie, and Kevin; but, they also had the woman that Charlie and Kevin saved, Missouri, Gramps, and Dwarfzilla. They hadn’t sat down and exchanged names yet, everyone seemed to still be gasping for breath after the adventure.  
  
While Dean’s life had never been lonely, it had never been this full of people. He mostly spoke to the blacksmiths and Sam back at home. It was very different surrounded by the strange people. With Cas it felt natural, with everyone else he felt slightly more on guard; like he couldn’t be himself. Which, in reality, he couldn’t; they all thought he was human, except for Missouri but Dean wasn’t sure what she did and did not know.  
  
The sun was setting when Cas finally put on his little show of stopping in the middle of a clearing and pronouncing it where they would spend the night.  
  
Dean was rather grateful for the nearby water. He trudged over to Cas. “Are you going to wash?”  
  
Sharing one of his little smiles, Cas nodded. They turned and walked to a secluded portion of the nearby stream and stripped for their wash. Cas used the water to rub off the dirt in small circles. Dean still dunked backward into the water. He scratched at some of the dirt that had cake onto his face.  
  
Cas laughed. He reached over and delicately picked at the same patch of dirt. “How did you manage to get so dirty?”  
  
“Dwarf’s prerogative?” Dean raised an eyebrow.  
  
Smiling wider, Cas cupped his hand and brought water to Dean’s now clean face. “Your beard is beginning to grow again.” Cas stroked a hand over Dean’s jaw.  
  
Feeling the roughness that the connection of Cas’ smooth hands and his face proved that his beard was indeed making a comeback. He watched Cas. Cas’ mouth was relaxed and parted while he concentrated on appreciating Dean’s face.  
  
Dean closed his eyes and pushed his face into Cas’ hand. Cas’ hand pushed back before leaving completely. Dean kept his eyes closed for a long time, getting himself under control. When he reopened his eyes, Cas had already headed back to camp.  
  
\---  
  
Since some people were walking, it took them a lot longer to get to back to where the whole thing started. When trees began to look familiar again, Dean silently rejoiced and cursed. He was happy to be close to home but upset that he would soon have to finish his payment to Cas and let him go.  
  
After travelling with Cas by his side for over 6 months, Dean was starting to stress over the day he wouldn’t be anymore. He took to walking near Cas. He took to edging his sleeping roll closer to Cas’ until they practically shared the same space.  
  
The worst part was that Cas didn’t seem to mind. Dean would wake up in the morning and Cas would be smiling at him from his bedroll. Their mornings began with that moment of intimacy and it made Dean even more fearful of when it would be over.  
  
Dean briefly pondered if he could ask Cas to stay. If he were to offer Cas a home with him, would Cas stay with him? He hoped that he would; but, in reality, he knew that Cas would have to return to his life. This thing that they had was just a passing thing. Dean would get over it. Cas would move on.  
  
Dead tried not to let that make him sad.  
  
\---  
  
Dean was too busy watching Cas interact with a wayward butterfly to notice that they were at The Fork. It was where the major trails split, one way when to the north of the mountains and the other went south. If Dean wanted to head home, he’d have to take the south route.  
  
Cas did his dance again. He turned around in the middle of the clearing and nodded to Charlie. “This is where we will camp for the night.”  
  
Not sure how many more he would see, Dean savored the moment. Cas stood in the center and looked at the sky, stretching his neck. The hair on the back of his head had grown a little but not enough to cover his neck.  
  
Dean self-consciously touched his face. Bobby, the man that he and Cas had rescued from the goblins, had gotten a razor on their way back. He had offered it to Dean as a form of repayment. A part of Dean felt mocked; but, he had to remind himself that Bobby thought he was a human.  
  
He had graciously taken the gift with he and Cas to their wash and Cas had helped him to shave. It had dawned on Dean that Cas must have shaved regularly during their trip. Suddenly, since Dean had to shave, Cas shaved when Dean saw; and, it was a sight to see. Cas’ neck stretched tight so the razor wouldn’t nick the skin.  
  
It was another form of entertainment that Cas provided and Dean delighted in.  
  
“Well, brother, I will be heading to the lower towns. My family has probably given up on me, imagine their surprise.” Benny, the short dwarf that had been in Missouri’s cell, sat next to Dean. It often bothered Dean that Benny called him ‘brother’; it was something that dwarves called each other. Dean often wondered if Benny knew he wasn’t a human. Even if he did, Benny said nothing more; and, it wasn’t as if he called no one else brother. He called Kevin and Bobby ‘brother’ as well. He did not call Cas the same though.  
  
Dean felt that it may be because of the unspoken dwarf code: Refer to a brother’s wife the way they wish to be referred to. That was where the source of Dean’s worry truly stemmed. “Your family will be honored to see you again. You are a proven fighter.” Dean clapped him on the shoulder.  
  
Benny nodded. “I will forever be in your debt.”  
  
Trying to argue, Dean opened his mouth but Benny spoke over him.  
  
“I know you keep saying that it was a stroke of luck and it was only happenstance; but, you must also take into account that no other rescuer rescued us by happenstance, only you. For that I am still forever grateful.” Benny looked over the clearing. “These people are nice. They are open and accepting of a dwarf.” Benny looked back to Dean with appointed glare. “Northlanders are not as kind. Be careful, brother.”  
  
Dean didn’t have time to thank Benny for keeping his secret. It was something he would have to endeavor at another time.  
  
Cas strode over. “I wish to wash.”  
  
Sighing, Dean looked up. Cas’ demeanor had become somewhat clipped in the past few days. Dean wasn’t sure why. It worried him; but, Cas hadn’t offered any reason. Dean began to stand. “I will gather my things.”  
  
“No.”  
  
Dean blinked. “What?”  
  
Cas looked away from Dean. “I will be bathing with Charlie. Kevin has offered to keep watch for you but does not plan to bath himself.” Cas added, it seemed as an afterthought. “If it were my choice, I would make him bathe. He smells in need of it.” With that, Cas walked away.  
  
The joke didn’t even register to Dean until Cas had walked away; and, even then, it wasn’t funny. Dean’s heart felt like someone had popped a bubble inside. It was numb and felt empty.  
  
When Kevin came to tell Dean that Cas and Charlie had returned and that he was willing to stand guard, Dean brushed him off. He didn’t feel like bathing.  
  
That night, he shifted his bedroll away from Cas’, partly because he smelled a bit more pungent than usually and partly because Cas’ message had been clear. Dean’s advances were denied; Dean could take a hint.  
  
\---  
  
Dean wasn’t sure what he expected when he agreed to go with Charlie and the rest of the company to the northlands. He may have expected houses and people and shops and blacksmiths; but, not this many of any.  
  
They passed another blacksmith shop. Dean almost drooled at the beautiful and intricate works hung on the shop’s outside. It made Dean want to see what was kept inside.  
  
“We must report back to the castle.” Charlie spoke to the townspeople as they passed.  
  
Dean was surprised that he stood to their height. He had always heard stories about humans and elves and orcs and all were rather unflattering. His mother had given him books, though, written in their respective languages by them. In those books, they didn’t seem any different than dwarves. They seemed to look for purpose and love. They wanted the same things.  
  
While Dean’s father had never completely approved of the books, he could not read them; so, Dean was left in peace to read all he wanted. It also meant that he had read many more sex scenes written in Elvish and Human scripts than in Dwarvish text. There was no way that his father could find out it was porn if he couldn’t read it.  
  
Dean’s father merely spoke other languages. Sam took after their father more than either he or Dean would ever truly accept. Dean took after his mother in many respects.  
  
Gilda, the princess, wore a long cape and hood to hide herself from the people. Charlie rode on the second horse and Kevin stood on the other side of Gilda’s horse, shooing people away when necessary.  
  
The faces of the humans were not unlike those of dwarves. They had smaller noses and ears but seemed altogether the same.  
  
“You are gaping.” Cas hit Dean’s thigh from his spot abreast of him.  
  
Dean snapped his mouth closed. “I am surprised. I have only ever read about humans.”  
  
Cas’ eyebrows furrowed. “I thought your father was an ambassador.”  
  
Nodding, Dean huffed a low laugh. “He is, but mostly to other tribes of dwarves. He rarely is sent to another species entirely.”  
  
“But he has met them.” Cas’ face held a questioning tilt.  
  
Shrugging, Dean tried to keep the disgust from his voice; he only partway succeeded. “He always has ill to say about them.”  
  
\---  
  
Dean’s eyes raked over the throne room. There were long and garish tapestries hanging over the walls. The windows were much larger than any windows that Dean had ever seen before. It was almost as if the outdoors was inside. It was almost surreal.  
  
Gilda, holding her long cape in her hands since she was no longer on a horse, stepped forward toward the throne where a man sat. He was much older than Gilda; and, if Dean didn’t know it was her father, he would have guessed grandfather.  
  
Gilda paused in front of the throne. “My king, I have brought my rescuers for their reward.”  
  
The king looked over them. His gaze was hard and piercing. It almost made Dean squirm. “I sent two rescuers and you have brought back four.”  
  
Dean suppressed the urge to look around. He knew that Kevin and Charlie were there; he briefly wondered where Bobby and Missouri were. He must have missed them slipping away in the crowds of people. Belatedly, Dean realized that his may have been where Bobby was from; it made him sad that he did not get to say good bye.  
  
Missouri had proven a dead end in many ways. Dean had been hoping to find out about his mother through her; but, she knew about as much about his mother as he did. While he knew it wasn’t gentlemen-like, he was a little happy that she had slipped away.  
  
“You did.” Gilda did not speak much in the room. Dean wondered if it was customary or not. Gilda had been one of the major talkers during their journey. She had matched Charlie breath and word. It was somewhat endearing and somewhat annoying. “But I bring back those who indeed did rescue me.”  
  
The king stood. Dean was surprised to find that he was short too. He had always though humans were taller than this. Perhaps he was taller than he thought; perhaps these humans were shorter than most.  
  
“I, King Devereaux, pronounce those present in the hall as the rescuers of my daughter. You shall be fed at the feast tonight and one shall be named betrothed to my daughter a payment.” Dean thought that was a bit drastic; but, no one else flinched at the king giving his daughter as part of the reward so Dean endeavored not to either.  
  
The King turned to a skinny man in servants’ clothes. “Make haste, my daughter has returned; we will celebrate.” The skinny man bowed and almost ran from the hall. The king turned to them again. “Now, to choose which of you will take my daughter’s hand.”  
  
Dean swallowed. He wasn’t sure how that would go. He didn’t want to be betrothed to Gilda; not becuas she was human or that she was female or anything like that; it would just be awkward having to explain that he was really a dwarf. He figured that Gilda would take it okay but her father; he was in the northlands and he was trying to be careful.  
  
Cas shuffled closer. Cas had been very distant when they were taking camp or in the large group; but, whenever it was just the two of them or they forgot about the others, they tended to gravitate together.  
  
King Devereaux began with the best candidate. He skipped over Charlie at the head of the line and pointed to Kevin. “You, Knight, have you a betrothed?”  
  
Kevin didn’t move. “No, sir.”  
  
The King smiled. He opened his mouth to speak again; but, Gilda demanded his attention with a tug to his arm sleeve. She ducked down to speak in his ear.  
  
The room turned tense. Kevin looked fearful; Charlie was shivering. Dean found comfort in Cas’ closeness but felt guilty over it. The room was turning into a conglomeration of nerves while King Devereaux listened to his daughter’s rushed whispering.  
  
The King flashed a glance at Dean then a Cas. “Is that so?”  
  
Gilda continued. Dean was worried about where this was going. He wanted the moment to be over. Hoping that Cas wouldn’t push him away at that moment, Dean grasped Cas’ hand. When Cas squeezed, Dean realized that Cas was just as uneasy about the situation as he was. Dean bit his lip.  
  
Leaning away with a satisfied grin, Gilda took a step back away from the king.  
  
The King grimaced for a moment. “But the heir-”  
  
Sighing, Gilda moved back to the kings ear.  
  
Eyes widening in what seemed to be relief and astonishment, the king pointed to Charlie. He turned his hand over in a steady move and beckoned her to come close. The King then turned to Gilda and spoke in hushed tones.  
  
Charlie shot a look down the line. “Wish me luck.”  
  
Kevin nodded. Dean replied with a low, “Luck.” Cas spoke the same in Elvish. Dean thought Elvish was much prettier than the other languages.  
  
With that, Charlie stepped forward. Dean stifled his laugh when he saw that she was crossing her fingers behind her back. The tension in the room waned.  
  
Cas stepped away from Dean. His hand loosened so Dean mimicked and let go. He felt worse than he had when he was on the list of people who might have been betrothed to the princess. He snuck a glance at Cas; he was looking away with a firm expression pressed into his shoulders and neck.  
  
Dean turned his attention back to Charlie. She was speaking with King Devereaux and nodding in slow calculated movements. It was a very different Charlie. Charlie liked to over exaggerate.  
  
The King brushed Charlie to the side before addressing the room. “I have chosen Knight Bradbury to take my daughter as betrothed; are there any objections?”  
  
Charlie glared at all of them; daring them to contest the King’s decision. She had nothing to worry about so Dean offered a nonthreatening smile.  
  
“Then it has been decided.” The King turned and nodded to Charlie. “Now, Garth!” Charlie jumped at the sudden yell almost in her face; but, the king continued. “Come now, Garth!”  
  
The skinny servant slipped in the large door and ran back to the head of the great hall. “Please, get our guests situated in guestrooms. We will need 3. Take their preferences for breakfast. I must take my leave; I have an announcement speech to write.”  
  
\---  
  
Dean and Cas seemed to be equally confused when they were showed to the same room. Dean had done the math; 3 rooms one for he, one for Cas, and one for Kevin with Gilda and Charlie both in Gilda’s room.  
  
Garth repeated the sweeping motion and smiled. “This room is yours.”  
  
Dean looked to Cas. Cas’ face shone with an expression of calculation before the furrowed look ebbed away into a look of understanding. Cas nodded to Garth. “I will take hotcakes in the morning, nothing else.”  
  
Dean’s stomach agreed. “I’ll take the same. Could I have honey too though?”  
  
Garth smiled. “Of course. Your order is much easier than the Knights’.”  
  
Conversationally, Dean added. “Oh, would you like us to order more?” He glanced to Cas who was surveying the room. He still wasn’t sure why they were sharing but Cas seemed to understand and Dean was confident that he would share that information soon enough.  
  
“You may if you’d like.” Garth seemed a little too peppy to be confused for Dean’s usual company; but, Dean welcomed the smile.  
  
Dean offered back his own. “What would you recommend?”  
  
Garth’s chest puffed outward and his face took on a note of determination; like making sure Dean was satisfied was the most important job in the world. “We have pig and chicken. We have vegetables for stew. We have oatmeal and corn cakes. The cook can make many things.”  
  
“I’ll add some oatmeal to my breakfast.” Dean glanced over at Cas who was admiring a large tapestry on the wall then back to Garth. “And a small tray of fruit.”  
  
Garth nodded his assent. “Yes sir, I’ll take your orders down to the kitchens.” He turned to take his leave.  
  
“Garth?”  
  
Garth paused and looked back to Dean.  
  
Dean smiled. “Thank you.”  
  
Face splitting into a giant grin, Garth nodded again before practically skipping away. Dean shook his head, Garth was a weird guy. He stepped backward into the room and closed the door. He let out a large breath and turned to find Cas looking at him.  
  
“So,” Dean shifted his arms to cross over his chest, “why are we sharing a room?”  
  
Cas glowered at Dean’s defensive pose. “I believe Gilda told her father that we are betrothed.”  
  
“But why would we be promised?” Dean didn’t like the word ‘betrothed’; his mother had always used the word ‘engaged’ or ‘promised’. Dean had always used those words like a small favor back to his mother.  
  
Cas moved to the bed and inspected it. He poked it with a finger before peaking under the covers. Dean waited patiently for Cas’ answer, knowing it would come at some point. Cas turned his back to Dean and sat on the bed before throwing himself back onto it and sighing. “You have to try this bed.”  
  
Dean had to admit that it looked like a magnificent bed. He let his arms flop to his sides and moved to the bed from his side. Cas seemed to have decided the other side was his. Dean sat and almost hummed at the way the bed’s plush mattress welcomed him. He lied back and closed his eyes. “This is awesome.”  
  
“Yes it is.”  
  
Dean almost startled from the closeness of Cas’ voice. With laying back onto the bed, their head were next to each other. Dean turned toward Cas’ steady exhales; his eyes were still closed. “Why would Gilda tell the King that we are promised?” Dean tried to cut the hope out of his voice. A small part of him wanted Cas to say that there had been some mistake and they were or that they acted like it; he wanted Cas to name whatever it was that kept them moving with each other or even toward each other.  
  
Cas did not. “She needed a reason that we were unavailable to be her betrothed.” The bed moved.  
  
Opening his eyes, Dean strained his neck to see that Cas had sat up and had begun to undress. He quickly averted his eyes. Dean sat up and began to do the same. “She could have said that we were each already promised to someone else or even that we were each married. Why did she choose that we were to each other?”  
  
Cas left on his under clothes, a cream long shirt and white cotton pants that cut off just below his knees. “That I do not know.” He stood and stretched; he reached to the ceiling then doubled over to reach toward the floor.  
  
While Dean had seen Cas’ stretching before bed routine many times, in fact, just about every night for the past eight or nine months, Cas had never done it in his underclothes. The bedrolls offered little heat so Cas had always opted to sleep in his clothes. Seeing Cas make the same movements with less clothing made Dean’s face heat up.  
  
“Either way, I’m glad that Charlie got the girl. She’s been almost courting that girl the entire way back.”  
  
Cas made an affirmative noise but nothing more.  
  
Dean turned and began to strip as well. He realized belatedly that he didn’t have an undershirt; Gabriel had not given him one. He stood, folded the clothes, and set them on a wooden chair next to the window. He wanted to be able to return the clothes to Gabriel. Dean thought back to when Cas had needed to buy a new over robe. The goblins had ripped his old one. When Bobby had announced that he had needed a detour to grab some supplies Cas had agreed.  
  
They had found a small town and gotten the things they had needed at the time. Cas had decided on a light blue over robe; it was very different than the tan he had been wearing; it made him look less boring, not that Cas was boring, quite the opposite in actuality.  
  
Dean wore only a pair of cotton pants that cut off above his knee when he sat back on the bed again. He shifted until he was under the covers. He turned so that he was facing away from Cas. The bed dipped on the other side. Dean listened for Cas’ breathing to slow but it never slowed enough to be sleep.  
  
“Goodnight, Cas.” There was no answer.  
  
\---  
  
When Dean next awoke, he was wrapped up. At first, he thought it was his bedroll then he remembered that he was in a bed. As he woke up further, he realized that it wasn’t that either; it was limbs. Dean opened one eyes and was met by two surprised blue eyes.  
  
“Hello, Dean.”  
  
The evident fear in his voice made Dean laugh. He laughed loud and gruff. He squirmed but found that he and Cas had somehow managed to tie themselves into a knot of blankets together. That made him laugh more.  
  
Cas began to smile then transitioned into chuckling. When Dean tried futilely to remove himself from Cas again, he brushed Cas’ side and Cas gave out a loud surprised laugh.  
  
Dean smirked. “Are you ticklish?” Dean experimented by brushing his fingers over the same spot.  
  
Trying to hold in the laugh made Cas’ face contorted weirdly and Dean found himself laughing again.  
  
A knock on the door sounded. Cas craned his head to see the door; in doing so, he put a long stretch of neck in front of Dean. Dean swallowed terse.  
  
“I’ve brought your food.” Garth’s voice was just pitchy enough to drain the rest of the sleep out of Dean. “Not you guys too. It seems that all of you have become accustomed to bed rolls. I’ve had to untangle both Knight Bradbury and Knight Tran from their sheets.”  
  
Dean laughed. “You can leave us here to rot if you please.”  
  
Cas made an indignant sound and wriggled.  
  
“I can’t do that, sir.” Garth approached and began to pull on the covers. Once they gave way form the knot they’d been twisted into, Garth moved away. “There you go. The princess wishes to have an audience with Charlie but has made no request for anyone else. You are free to enjoy the festival in honor of the princess’ return.” Garth left and closed the door behind him.  
  
Cas wriggled again. The sheets fell away, leaving Cas almost straddling one of Dean’s legs. Dean felt heat and probably color fill his cheeks. Cas had blushed too; his delicate features looked even prettier with the color. Dean cleared his throat and Cas rolled off of him.  
  
The scent of hotcakes wafted over.  
  
Dean hoisted himself into a sitting position and eyed the hotcakes on their table. “Well, I’m hungry.” Dean didn’t bother to put his clothes on yet; he approached the table and soaked in the food magnificence through his eyes.  
  
He plated a stack of 3 hotcakes and pours a little honey over them from what looked like an intricately decorated gravy boat. He took some berries from the fruit tray and took a seat where a bowl of oatmeal sat.  
  
Cas donned his dark blue under robe and approached the table. He took three hotcakes and stared at the honey. “What is that?” He eyed Dean’s plate wary.  
  
Speaking through the food in his mouth, Dean tried to ease Cas’ anxiety. “It’s honey.”  
  
Cas’ face spread into awe. “You can put honey on hotcakes?”  
  
Laughing, Dean nodded. “My brother thinks I’m crazy; but, I believe that most breads and cakes are better with honey.” Dean took another bite from his plate.  
  
“And you asked for fruit?”  
  
Dean nodded in time to his chews.  
  
Cas sat and took a few strawberries. He drizzled some honey over half of his hotcakes. After carefully replacing the gravy boat, he delicately cut a small piece of hot cake from the honey-drizzled half and brought it to his nose. He sniffed it before putting it in his mouth.  
  
Dean found the whole thing quite amusing. “Good?”  
  
Skipping a response in favor of calmly reaching out for the gravy boat and slathering the rest of his plate with honey, Cas kept his chin high and his expression unbothered.  
  
Dean simply laughed.  
  
\---  
  
The festival was grand. Overnight the town and the castle had been covered in multicolored flags and long strips of fabric. The humans were just as colorful as the setting, wearing fancy outfits and hats. Dean had nothing else to wear so he continued to wear the clothes that Gabriel gave him.  
  
“Do you want an Ale?” Cas’ hand was tucked into Dean’s elbow while they walked through the crazy. People were in various states of intoxication and it was hardly noon. Some people were even passed out and being dragged from the middle of the walkway and propped against the buildings.  
  
Dean felt bad for the alcohol sickness they would all have when they inevitably woke up. “Yes, please.”  
  
Steering him by the elbow, Cas moved them to a small establishment to order two pints of ale. Cas paid for both and Dean took note to add more to the lump sum that he had to give Cas before they parted ways. It reminded Dean on the unlucky day he would have to let Cas go.  
  
When Dean was given his Ale, he decided to drown the unhappy feeling and chugged down half the beer mug. It wasn’t dwarf-style ale but it would do.  
  
The woman behind the counter passed forward another. “You an elf, boy?”  
  
The way the woman said ‘boy’ caught Dean’s attention. It was the intonation; the gruff no nonsense in her voice. He looked at her. She was wearing a man’s clothing but was still nice-looking. She hand long hair; the way she eyed the both of them gave off a distinctive ‘mom’ overtone.  
  
“I am, ma’am.”  
  
She smiled. “Hey,Bobby, these the boys?” Calling in a happier tone over her shoulder, the woman relaxed an elbow into the bar.  
  
Bobby emerged from the back. Dean noticed that behind the window was a full bar and an indoor portion. It was ingenious really; all of the benefits of a walk-in bar and a street stall. “Heya, boys.”  
  
Dean bowed his head in greeting. Cas smiled his small smile. “Hello, Bobby. I see you have found your way back.”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Bobby leaned onto the bar and waved Ellen away. Ellen didn’t leave; instead, she raised an eyebrow and sunk lower into her hip. “Stay if you want woman, but the brutes in there will be all over your girl without someone manning the bar.”  
  
Ellen looked around Bobby and gave in. She started to move around Bobby but stopped to turn to Dean and Cas. “You boys come on in. Drinks on me as long as you tell me what all happened. Jo wants to know too.” She winked and moved away to deal with the people inside.  
  
Bobby motioned for them to come around. “Best not to keep her waiting.”  
  
Dean laughed. He knew Bobby as a gruff, stern guy; seeing him with this woman of his, it was a different man. Dean liked both of them, Gramps and the Bar Owner. He and Cas made their way around to the door, evading drunkards and people dancing in the street.  
  
They pushed through the opening to The Road House and sidled up to the bar. “What can I get you?” A woman, younger than Ellen, must’ve been Jo, asked.  
  
Cas raised his glass to show that they had already been served. She smiled. “Drink up, festival’s just begun.” Cas nodded and took a swig.  
  
Ellen appeared on the other side of the bar. “Jo, these be the men that rescued Bobby.”  
  
Looking between her mother and them, Jo donned an expression akin to realization. “You done did good, I reckon.” She punched Dean in the arm good naturedly. “How’d ya manage it?”  
  
Dean smiled and recounted the story. He used a bit more flair than he had with Charlie; he would later attribute that to the mostly consumed pint of ale. It took a while and some repeating since Jo and Ellen were trying to run a bar in the middle of a festival meanwhile. Bobby filled in some of the before and bits and pieces in the middle.  
  
Cas mostly stayed quiet until Dean brought up that he hadn’t been completely sure about whether the tunnel was an exit; then Cas started to rant over how that was the stupidest idea ever. Dean simply shrugged.  
  
Jo cut over Cas. “You’re alive aren’t ya?”  
  
Jerking, Cas nodded.  
  
“Then get over it; past is the past.” Jo refilled Dean’s and Cas’ steins. Cas drank in a new kind of silence. He watched Dean while Dean finished. At some point, Cas’ stool scooted closer to Dean’s and he was leaning into Dean’s side.  
  
\---  
  
Dean had lost could of how many pint of ale he had imbibed. Cas had kept up with him though and that was what counted. Dean’s own brother couldn’t usually keep up with Dean’s drinking; and, it was usually laughable since Sam stood almost 3 inches taller.  
  
“How can you still think straight?” Cas was leaning into Dean more for support than comfort at that point. “I’m not even sure I could tell you my full name at this point.”  
  
Laughing, Dean pushed Cas’ halfway full beer mug away from him. “Then don’t drink anymore.” He took a swig of his, again.  
  
Cas reached for his mug. “But I don’t want you to out drink me.”  
  
Grabbing Cas’ mug and moving it further away, Dean replied. “You’ve done better than most, how about we leave it there?”  
  
Pouting, Cas reached across Dean for the closer mug, Dean’s, and took a gulp. He turned a heavy lidded glare on Dean. “No.”  
  
Shaking his head, Dean grabbed the stein he had confiscated from Cas and took another long sip. “You better know what you’re in for. Dwarves know how to put away ale.”  
  
Dean didn’t realize his mistake until a large drunk man on the other side of Cas turned suddenly. He had a grimace on his face. “You’re a filthy dwarf.”  
  
Cas seemed to sober up really fast. He turned to the man. “It’s an expression.”  
  
The man stood from his stool, shaky but solid. “An expression for what?”  
  
Dean racked his brain. He couldn’t think of a good excuse and neither could Cas. The silence stretched too long.  
  
“Ain’t no expression. You’re a dwarf. Dwarves aren’t welcome here.” The man advanced.  
  
Dean stood and leaned against the bar for support. “I, uh, there’s a, there’s a good reason-”  
  
Another man approached from a table. “Can it, dwarf.”  
  
Dean shifted away from them; they were both larger than him. He could probably take them on if he were sober; but, it was very true that he wasn’t. He dumped into the woman who had been side glancing Dean from his other side cried out. “She tried to sleep with me.”  
  
Cas leaned around Dean. “That is far from the truth, you’ve been trying to get into his trouser the entire night.”  
  
She gave a second indignant cry and rushed from the bar.  
  
Bobby popped up behind the bar again. “Now, gentlemen, How about you let this go until after the festival? Now’s a time for enjoying and drinking yourselves silly.” Bobby put a steadying hand on Dean’s shoulder. Dean was glad that it seemed that Bobby was still on his side, even if he was a dwarf.  
  
The first man gave belch; it was extremely rude. Dean wrinkled his face at him.  
  
The man added. “I don’t think I can do that Bobby. You’re serving dwarves and you’re okay with it.”  
  
Dean felt the pit of his stomach drop. That was the big issue. He didn’t want Bobby to lose money; he turned to leave; but, another booming voice stopped him.  
  
“A mouth is a mouth; now either drink your damn beer or get out!” Ellen called over the bar.  
  
Smiling at the ground, Dean decided he liked Ellen a lot. He turned to Cas. “I think it is best if we leave, don’t you?”  
  
Cas looked sad. “If you want.” He stood on wobbly legs and looked at Dean with a disappointed expression.  
  
Recovering, Dean added. “I mean, you can stay if you want. You are welcome here.”  
  
“I’m not upset that we are leaving; I am upset that you are not welcome.” Cas threaded his arm through Dean’s and turned them toward the door. Dean was grateful that Cas did not pity him like Bobby’s eyes gave away or Jo’s posture alluded to.  
  
Dean was caught up in looking at Cas that he didn’t notice that the woman from the bar was waiting at the door until it was too late. A shrill call rang out, “Ah, this dwarf just touched me.”  
  
Guards were posted at the ends of the streets. They closed in faster than Dean’s drunk mind could keep up with. Before he knew it, they had his arms behind his back and his knees pressed into the cobblestone road. The festival raucous died down in the immediate vicinity. Dean struggled enough in the hand of the guards to get a look at Cas; they were trying to grab him too. Cas fought more than Dean did.  
  
Ears buzzing, Dean could make out only a few of Cas’ words. “Where are you taking us? We are guests of the king!”  
  
Cas’ cries were drowned out, though, by the heavy glares from the festival goers who paused long enough to glare at the dwarf that crashed their party.  
  
Dean looked to the ground.  
  
\---  
  
When Dean started to see straight again, he was in a stone room with iron bars for one of the walls. He was in a dungeon cell. Moving his tongue around in his mouth, Dean noticed that his mouth was sour and parched.  
  
“May I have some water?” He looked over to see Cas at the bars. He was speaking to a guard. The guard took pity and handed in a cup of water.  
  
Cas drank some and sighed. He held it out toward Dean. “Here.”  
  
Dean took the cup and drank some. It was cool when it hit his lips and tasted almost sweet compared to the tang of his mouth. “Thank you.” He handed the water back to Cas.  
  
Moving to sit against the wall of the cell, Cas patted the stone next to him for Dean to join. Dean moved closer but slowly; his muscles protested and ache awkwardly in strange places. Once Dean was seated, Cas touched his face.  
  
Hissing, Dean pulled away. The point where Cas’ finger had made contact with his face stung. “What happened?”  
  
Cas’ hand dropped to the stone floor. “The guards took us in here. They didn’t harm me very much but they hit you and battered you up a bit.” Cas pointed to where he had tried to touch Dean’s face. “You have a black eye.”  
  
Groaning, Dean rolled his head back against the wall. “This was a bad idea.”  
  
Nodding, Cas stayed silent and mimicked Dean’s posture. Cas’ hand stroked the stone next to Dean’s hand twice then stopped.  
  
Dean heaved a breath before covering Cas’ hand with his. “Thank you.” He stroked Cas’ hand. “For everything.”  
  
Flipping his hand over and weaving his fingers with Dean’s, Cas licked his bottom lip and kept his gaze fixed on the ceiling.  
  
Dean tried desperately not to follow the motion of Cas’ tongue with his eyes; but, he was too exhausted to care at that point. He wanted some comfort; what he had was Cas. “I’m sorry.”  
  
“Don’t be.” A rough answer came. Cas’ flicked his head to the side to look at Dean. He repeated softer, “Don’t be.”  
  
Dean looked over Cas’ face. He noticed that it was a darker shade of skin tone than usually and brought a hand to Cas’ cheek. His fingers met stubble. Dean wasn’t sure why; but, it turned his on just a little bit.  
  
Pulling away, Cas ducked his head with a sheepish expression. “Sorry, they took my daggers; I’ve had nothing to shave with.”  
  
Dean lifted a hand to his own face. There was stubble there too only longer.  
  
“How long have we been here?”  
  
Cas’ eyes lingered where Dean’s fingers touched his face. “A few days. The King has been too busy with the festival to make a decision.”  
  
The grave tone in Cas’ voice scared Dean. “What choice?”  
  
“Whether to hang us or not.”  
  
Dean rolled his head back against the cold stone wall and looked at the ceiling. The dark stone of the ceiling only depressed him more; so, he closed his eyes. He hope, prayed, that he would open his eyes and find himself tangled with Cas on the guestroom’s plush bed or in the woods camping on their way to the walled city of humans where Gilda’s father ruled or waking in a bedroll near the stream with Cas or, even, on his bed at home waking from a strange dream that he would have to tell Sam since he didn’t know anyone else.  
  
When he opened his eyes, none of those scenarios occurred. He stared at the ominous stone cell’s ceiling and shook his head minutely. “We’re going to die here. You’re going to die here.”  
  
There was movement next to him; but, Dean wasn’t paying much mind to it. He felt horrible. None of this would have happened if he had been able to suck it up and be an ambassador like his dad. He wouldn’t be here running away from the family trade; he’d be at home. He wouldn’t have met Cas; but, Cas wouldn’t have his life on the line either.  
  
Two hands clasped the sides of Dean’s face and moved it to a new position. Cas looked his straight in the eyes. “This is not your fault. This wasn’t part of the contract; I came here to get a reward separate from you.”  
  
Dean swallowed. “You would be here if I hadn’t taken you to the Goblin King.”  
  
“I may have ended up there anyway. I may have still ran into Kevin and Charlie. We’d either be in one of those hanging cells or dead if it weren’t for you.”  
  
Dean glowered softly. “You wouldn’t have agreed to go with Kevin and Charlie if I wasn’t there; you don’t like horses.”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Cas huffed out a breath. “I would have pitied them.”  
  
“You still don’t like horses.”  
  
Cas surged forward and pressed his lips to Dean’s. Dean was too surprised to react and the moment ended before anything began. “I may have over exaggerated my fear of horses. I still don’t like them; but, I probably would have still went with Charlie and Kevin. Besides, that isn’t my-”  
  
While Dean had been halfway listening, he figured it was going to sound an awful lot like a lecture so he pushed his lips back to Cas’. Cas hummed into his lips.  
  
Dean brought his hands up to run them over the stubble on Cas’ face. Cas pulled away. “I’m sorry, they took my blades and-”  
  
“You act like I don’t like it when in I really do.” Dean made a point of it by rubbing his thumbs over Cas’ cheeks. He hummed lightly at the sandpaper feel.  
  
Cas blinked a few times before grabbing Dean’s head and pulling him into a heavier kiss. Cas moved quickly and settled himself over Dean. He opened and closed his lips and Dean tried to keep up mimicking the motions. While he wasn’t sure if he was doing it right, Cas’ moan seemed to indicate that he was doing okay.  
  
Cas angled his head and his nose bumped into Dean’s black eye.  
  
Dean whined and pulled away. He gritted his teeth.  
  
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”  
  
Shaking his head, Dean smiled at Cas. “I’m actually alright.” Dean ran a hand through Cas’ hair and trailed it down over his neck then his shoulder. He pulled him forward.  
  
Cas settled on Dean’s lap and folded himself in a way that tucked him under Dean’s chin. “I don’t want to die, though.”  
  
\---  
  
The rest of the week passed and, by some unspoken agreement, Cas was somehow always touching Dean. Their hands touched while they sat. Their thighs touched when they ate. Their shoulders bumped when they stood to look out the small window. By a different unspoken agreement, their lips didn’t touch again.  
  
Dean wasn’t sure if it was the threat of death or the confined space; but, he knew that something was off. An elf and a dwarf didn’t fall in love. It was a trick of the brain or of the senses. Somehow they both had come to that conclusion simultaneously and were keeping as much distance as they could.  
  
But they both still needed comfort.  
  
They slept on the cold floor close but not touching except for their hands. It was a boundary that had been built between them and had been cemented in place by the kiss.  
  
“Boys, git us asses up.” Dean started and rolled to look toward the bars. Bobby was at the door with a set of keys. “Don’t give me that look just hop up and git movin’.”  
  
Dean reached over and shook Cas’ shoulder. “Wake up.” Cas woke and stood up quickly; his stance was low and he was poised to fight. Dean rolled his eyes and got up with lazy reluctance. “We’re good, Bobby’s here.”  
  
Cas’ arms came to rest at his sides, graceful as ever. “Why is Bobby here?”  
  
“I don’t know; ask him yourself.”  
  
“Will you two hurry it up? I ain’t got all day.” Bobby opened the cell door and ushered them out.  
  
Bobby’s rescue seemed weird. Why would Bobby come in to save them? Was anyone else involved?  
  
Dean looked over the other cells on their way out. All of the cells were on one side of the hall so that no prisoner could see another unless they were put into the same cell on purpose. Dean was surprised to find most of the cells full; not just with dwarves but with humans and elves and he even saw a very old looking hobbit. “Why are the dungeon’s so full?”  
  
Bobby pushed Dean to walk faster. “Because King Devereaux is a paranoid bastard, that’s why.”  
  
Cas peeked into the hall and checked in both directions before waving Dean and Bobby ahead. “How did you get in? Why are there no guards?”  
  
Bobby smiled. “Charlie and Princess Gilda stopped by my and Ellen’s bar the other day. We hatched a plan you see.” Bobby made a vague gesture to the air around them.  
  
Moving quickly in the direction that Dean was trusting was the exit, Cas glared. “That does not answer my question.”  
  
“Princess Gilda told her father that she wanted to go to the lower portions of town. She requested a full security detail.” Bobby glanced around the corner before making the turn itself.  
  
Dean nodded along. “With the extra men out on the streets for the final day of the festival, no doubt the most merry.” He elbowed Bobby in the side good-naturedly. “Gilda had to take some of the men from the dungeons.”  
  
Bobby nodded.  
  
Cas struck out ahead of them. “You really should show some respect; she is a princess after all.”  
  
Grumbling low, Dean replied, “I am calling her what she told us to call her.” Dean turned his attention but not his eyes back to Bobby. “I’m glad that you and Charlie and Gild don’t seem to mind that I’m a dwarf.”  
  
Bobby shook his head. “I ain’t gonna judge you for something you can’t control; you’re a man just like any other and you happened to break me free of a cell. Consider this your repayment.” Bobby smiled. “Besides, you can’t be all Dwarf; you’re too damn tall.”  
  
“His mother was a Lady of the Lake.” Cas cut in.  
  
Dean rolled his eyes.  
  
Bobby donned an expression of deep thought. “Interesting. I once knew a Lady of the Lake.”  
  
“I know, Missouri. You losing it, Gramps?” Dean strutted a little before noticing that his boots made more noise that way so he stopped.  
  
Grabbing Dean by the shirt, Bobby shot an intense glare. “Don’t sass the man that’s breaking you loose.” He let go and they began to walk again. “I knew another Lady of the Lake, before Missouri. She gave me some journals to keep for her. She never came ‘round again. You could have ‘em if you want.”  
  
Dean couldn’t believe his luck. “Yes, sir; I can take those off your hands for you.”  
  
Cas held up a hand for them to stop. Bobby and Dean obeyed. After a moment, Cas lowered his hand and they kept walking through the corridor.  
  
“They’re in some weird language. I tried to decipher it once so I could return them; it was no use though.”  
  
Dean shrugged. “I know lots of languages; I’ll figure it out.”  
  
“You don’t know High Elvish.”  
  
“Who asked you, Cas?” Dean snapped back. It was fun to argue with Cas again; days of silence and understanding really wore on a person. He was happy to be back to the old him and Cas. They leave through the first arch to the outdoors and make a beeline for Bobby’s bar; though, Bobby insisted it was more Ellen’s than his. “I just work here occasionally. Usually, I’m down at the blacksmith.”  
  
Dean and Cas followed him up the stairs behind the bar to their living quarters. Dean paused on the stairs and Cas ran into him. “You’re a blacksmith?”  
  
“Yep, raised into it. It’s closed for the festival and Ellen needed the help here anyway.”  
  
Cas pushed at Dean so Dean recommenced climbing the stairs. “It’s nice that they can afford to close with such an influx of people.”  
  
“Yeah, it is.”  
  
Dean and Cas stepped into the small library-like living space. One wall was a built-in bookshelf and there were more bookshelves littered around the room; all filled with books. Dean liked it; it reminded him a bit of home. His mother had a vast collection so she had a library built onto their house. Dean had read most of its books and kept up with the various languages he knew through them.  
  
Cas’ eyes grew wide. “You own many books.”  
  
Bobby smiled. “It’s the only way to know things, if you don’t go places.” He turned and searched over a shelf. “Ah, here they are.” He pulled from the shelf three leather-bound books. He handed them to Dean. “Let me get you something to carry them in.”  
  
Bobby rushed through a door, leaving Cas and Dean with three books. Dean took a deep breath and opened the first. It opened to nothing but gibberish. Dean groaned.  
  
Cas, who had been looking over Dean’s shoulder, sighed. “Try the next one.”  
  
Dean began to untie the next one. “Why?” He opened it to reveal a different language. “That’s not the same. I mean, I can’t read it; but, it’s different. Can you?”  
  
Shaking his head, Cas bounced on the balls of his feet. “Try the last one.”  
  
Untying the claps, Dean prayed to all of the stars and gods he could think of. He felt Cas drawing some sort of design into his shoulder and focused on that for a moment. Cas drew or wrote something then drew a circle around it, a blessing. Dean turned his head toward Cas with a question furrowed into his eyebrows.  
  
Cas looked back innocently. “Luck.”  
  
Dean nodded and opened the final journal. It was in old-style Elvish script, not High Elvish but Elvish. Dean and Cas could bother read it. Dean read the first sentence aloud in awes. “I pass to you the secrets of the Lady of the Lake; you are now the bearer of the lake’s knowledge.”  
  
Cutting into Dean’s reverie, Cas deadpanned, “How can a lake have knowledge? It’s a lake.”  
  
“It’s an expression.”  
  
Bobby returned as Dean reclasped the journal. “Any luck?”  
  
Dean nodded. “I can read one. It should give me some idea of how to decode the other two. If not…”  
  
Dean and Cas said together, “Charlie.”  
  
Laughing, Bobby handed over the pack he had found. “You’d best be going though; guards will realize you’re not there. You want to be outside the borders by then.”  
  
Cas nodded and turned to take the stairs.  
  
Holding out his hand for Bobby to shake, Dean realized just how much he didn’t want to leave. “Thanks for your help, Old Man.”  
  
Bobby grasped his hand firm, almost as if he was sad to see Dean leave too. “You send word when you get back and every time something comes of those things. I put too much work into them for them to be left unsolved.”  
  
“You got it.” Dean let go. “If you ever come near Belegost, ask for Dean, son of John; you’ll find me.”  
  
Smiling, Bobby nodded his affirmation. “I may have to. I’d say you’re welcome here; but that is a little bit of a lie. I don’t want to be saving you from a cell again anytime soon.”  
  
“You won’t”  
  
\---  
  
Having lost his daggers to King Devereaux, Cas went unshaven for the rest of their journey. Dean found it entertaining. Cas’ beard grew much slower than Dean’s and was made of finer hair. It was different enough that Dean itched to touch it; that was his reasoning and he was sticking to it.  
  
The trek back to Gabriel’s was uneventful. There were no trappers. There were no more dwarf haters. There were no more kisses, not that Dean had been expecting any.  
  
He and Cas had reverted to the way they had been at the beginning of the trip. The washed separately; but, without other people to be watch out, they gravitated together again. Their bedrolls were separated by a mere inch of bare earth.  
  
They came upon Gabriel’s house midday midweek. They knocked many times; but there was no answer. Cas seated himself cross-legged in a patch of grass and Dean sat and wondered where his baby was. He made a mental note to see if Charlie could sent his and Cas’ blades to their respective homes.  
  
“You are looking more and more like a dwarf, again.” Cas fiddled with the grass at his knee.  
  
Shrugging, Dean laid back. “I think I’m going to buy a razor on my way back home; I’ve become accustomed to having a shaved face. When my food gets stuck in what I have now, it irritates me like you wouldn’t believe.”  
  
Cas laughed. “What did you do before?”  
  
“I really couldn’t tell you.” Dean shook his head at the tree tops. “I must’ve done something; maybe it simply did not bother me?”  
  
Shuffling broke the following silence when Gabriel appeared over the hill. His eyes brows shot up when he saw them both. “Cas I expected to see; but, Dean I did not.” He unlocked his door and entered leaving it open for Dean and Cas to follow.  
  
Dean looked around to see if anything had changed in the last 11 months, almost a year. Nothing seemed different, still overly gaudy and colorful, almost like the festival in the human fortress town had never ended. “I’m here to return the clothes. Or, at least gather my old ones if you have them.”  
  
Gabriel thought for a moment. “I think I have them in a cabinet. One moment.” He began to leave the room then paused. “Please, make yourself comfortable.” He exited through a intricately carved wooden door.  
  
Squinting at the door, Cas pursed his lips. “I still don’t know why he insists on the ornate things when plain versions are just as useful and far less expensive.”  
  
Dean finally had an answer as to why Cas’ clothes were so much more ordinary than Gabriel’s.  
  
Returning with a stack of folded clothes, Gabriel sat in a plush chair. “I hope that is all; it was all I could find.”  
  
Looking over the articles in his hands, Dean mentally checked off each thing. It was hard to remember each thing he had been wearing a year previous. “It looks like that’s everything.”  
  
“Will you be staying the night? It is nearly dark.” Gabriel looked to Dean then to Cas.  
  
Cas stood. “What he does has nothing to do with me.” He took his leave. “I will see you in the morning.”  
  
Gabriel’s expression betrayed confusion. He looked to Dean for an answer that Dean couldn’t give.  
  
Standing to retire to bed himself, Dean said the only thing he could. “I would like to spend the night if it is being offered. I will leave early tomorrow.”  
  
Gabriel nodded.  
  
\---  
  
Dean woke early and packed his things. He checked over the journals and the bedrolls. He pulled the last of the payment in a second velvet pouch and placed it in one of Cas’ shoes. Dean swallowed and briefly turned over the idea of waking Cas. He did not; instead, he arranged some pebbles in a circle on a piece of paper on his bed and wrote ‘luck’ on it.  
  
He hoped that Cas would understand.  
  
\---  
  
Dean stopped by the tavern where he had first met Cas. He figured he was looking for some sort of closure but it didn’t come. Instead, a heavy sadness settled into his chest that he couldn’t chase away with alcohol or drown out with sleep.  
  
The only comparable feeling was that of relief when he set eyes on his home again. It didn’t look very different, perhaps smaller since Dean’s world upon returning was a lot bigger. He stepped up to the door and poised to knock.  
  
The door opened before he knocked, though, and revealed an awestruck Sam. “We thought you were dead.” Sam looked over him then an air of confusion settled in. “What happened to your beard?”  
  
Dean sighed, heavily; he let go of all the weight he had been carrying. “It’s a long story.”  
  
“Well, I certainly want to hear it,” came another voice, a definitely female voice, from behind Sam.  
  
Grinning, Dean surged into the house to find Jessica at the hearth. She was large with child and her beard was braided prettily. “I have a sister-in-law?” Part of Dean sincerely hoped that Sam did not knock up a female dwarf out of wedlock, especially not one as revered as Jess.  
  
Jess smiled back. “You do.”  
  
The hug they shared was awkward around the baby bump; but, it was warm and Dean decided that he liked Jess. She seemed to be a good addition to his childhood home. Dean’s face hurt from smiling so hard. “I’m sorry I missed it.” He turned to Sam. Sam had always been overly irritated when Dean missed something like that; but, Sam looked just as happy as Dean felt.  
  
“Come now, sit down. Tell me all about your adventures.” Jess waddled over to the wooden table and chairs. “Go get me a cushion or something.” She waved Sam away. Jess watched him leave then turned back to Dean. “Don’t leave out any of the promiscuous parts.”  
  
Dean smiled. He really liked his sister-in-law; but, he realized that there weren’t any promiscuous parts to his story. He had been practically obstinate for the year he had been gone. That worried him.  
  
Sam returned with a cushion for Jess and the three sat down at the table. Sam brought over tea. Dean spent a few moments enjoying the warm tea, taking comfort in being home, and trying to come up with a good excuse for not sleeping with any women on his year long trip.  
  
Jessica laid her chin on her fingers and Sam looked at him patiently. Dean took a long sip of tea. “It’s a long story…”  
  
\---  
  
-A Year and a Half Later-  
  
Dean sat on the floor in the study with a little girl in swaddling clothes. She stood shakily and bounced in delight. “That’s it, baby girl, now walk.”  
  
Sam passed by the entry of the room. “She’s not going to learn to walk while you’re sitting down.”  
  
Shooting a glare at Sam, Dean held his hands higher and moved them around. “This is how I taught you to walk so don’t go saying things that aren’t true.” He pulled his hands further away from baby Mary; but, instead of following, she opted to set and crawl to her uncle.  
  
“Yeah, okay, good talk.” Sam shot a bitchface in Dean’s direction.  
  
Dean glared back. He returned his attention to the girl trying to crawl into his lap. “You’ll start walking when you want to.”  
  
“Dee.” She clapped her hands. She flopped back onto her butt and slapped her hands against Dean’s leg. “Dee.”  
  
Dean petted the hair on her head. It was soft and baby thin but she had a full head just like every other Dwarf child. She was small, baby-small; but, Dean could already tell that she wouldn’t be dwarf size. She had inherited her father’s height; it would help her if she were to go into the family business. Foreign peoples liked to think they could push dwarves around because they were smaller but Dean and Sam gave the other species a run for their money.  
  
Dean hadn’t taken up the ambassador position quite yet. He had been present at a few of the treaty meeting because Sam had hired him to read the contracts; but Sam was the politician in the family. Dean’s full time job as of late had been taking care of little Mary. Jess worked and Sam traveled so they paid him a little to watch Mary throughout the day. He translated texts in his free time; he had gotten the idea from Charlie when she had sent a letter with his blade. She had asked, as politely as it seemed Charlie could, if he would translate it for her. He had and he had received a fair bit of coin for it.  
  
All in all, life was going well. When he had time, he would read through the journal and try to piece together some of its story or look for clues as to the languages that the other books were in. He had sent excerpts to Charlie and she was looking into them when she could too.  
  
There was a knock at the door. “I can get it!” Jess rushed from her and Sam’s room to get the door.  
  
Dean heard the door open and shifted a foot to hold a paper of his latest translation piece in place; it was the windy season after all. He watched as Mary crawled to the entry arch to the library; she was as curious as Sam had been. Every time a door opened or she was out in town, her eyes bugged and watched everything.  
  
“I need to speak with Dean.”  
  
Suddenly Dean’s body grew cold. He recognized that voice.  
  
“Why would you want to see him? Who are you?”  
  
“I am Castiel. Please tell him that I wish to discuss our agreement.”  
  
Dean stood and picked up Mary; he had found that the easiest way to keep an eye on her was to hold onto her. Dean approached the door and handed Mary off to Jess.  
  
Jess turned wide eyes toward Dean. “The Castiel?”  
  
Dean nodded and opened the door to reveal Cas. Cas still looked the same really, same eyes, same dull outfit, he had his hair trimmed short; but, Cas’ beard was full and grown. It looked good on him. Dean glanced down at his own clothes. He had taken to wearing lighter clothing unless he was heading down to the blacksmith; and, his face was clean shaven. He slowly looked back up to Cas. “This is about the contract? I fulfilled my requirement. I paid you in full.”  
  
Shaking his head, Castiel took a step closer. “That is not the agreement that I am referring to.”  
  
Confused, Dean racked his brain for the agreement that Cas was thinking of. He could think of no other agreement.  
  
Cas breathed out. “You still need to ask a question.”  
  
Dean blinked at him. He needed to – what? A question, yes, he had promised Cas he would ask him a question. “I, I don’t have a question. You are a fairly straight-forward person; I never needed to ask another question.” Dean looked down at the ground. “We understood each other.”  
  
“That’s what I thought.” Cas’ boots shifted. Dean didn’t need to see all of Cas to know that he was standing with an air of determination and his shoulder square; it was still Cas after all. “It would seem that our agreement is not complete. I will have to accompany you until it is.”  
  
Dean heard the lilt to Cas’ voice. He felt the tense around them morph into something else, the same something that kept them gravitating together when they traveled together. Dean looked up and saw Cas offering an uncertain smile.  
  
“If you want that is.” Cas licked his lips.  
  
Dean let it all sink in for a moment before throwing his arms around Cas. He pulled Cas to him and squeezed his shoulders. Cas reciprocated and burrowed his head into Dean’s neck. Dean ran his hands through Cas’ hair then stroked the beard that he could reach despite Cas trying to hide a blush in Dean’s neck and shoulder.  
  
Cas mumbled into Dean’s shirt. “Do you know how long it took me to find you?”  
  
Scoffing, Dean shook his head; happy that Cas tried to find him at all. “About a year and a half maybe more.”  
  
Dean pushed Cas away but held him at arm’s length. “I left Gabriel’s home about a year and a half ago.”  
  
Nodding, Cas rolled his eyes. “I know. Gabriel was an unhappy puppy over the whole thing. I had wanted to talk to you in the morning; but, you were already gone. I tried to pick up your trail; but, you are very good at covering your tracks.”  
  
“Then how did you find me?” Dean genuinely wanted to know.  
  
Cas bit his lip. “I gave up at first but then I got my blade and daggers returned via messenger from the Lord of Devereaux. I sent word back asking for where you lived and started there. Charlie didn’t really know where you lived at first and I haven’t been able to write to her since; but… here I am and here you are, so…” Cas shrugged.  
  
Dean grinned. “Here we are.” Dean turned suddenly walked to the walkway. He bent down and moved the rocks into a circle by the entrance to the front path. He turned to Cas and motioned for Cas to do his thing.  
  
Cas did. He bent forward and wrote in a loopy scrawl a High Elvish blessing. Dean had been studying High Elvish since he got back so he smiled at the word. It made his heart swell with pride and happiness.  
  
Beckoning Cas to follow, Dean showed him into the house. “You have to meet my brother and his child. You already meat my sister-in-law; she seemed quiet and attentive but, in time, you will find that she is neither of those things.”  
  
Laughing along, Cas glanced around the home. He sighed. “Thank you.”  
  
Dean looked back confused.  
  
Cas continued in a softer voice. “For everything.”  
  
The moment stretched and Dean found himself staring at Cas’ innocent and still startlingly blue eyes. The moment broken when Cas caught sight of the library. “Have you gotten anywhere with the journals?”  
  
Dean shrugged. “Not far.” He led Cas into the library and offered him a seat of the couch. “It’s hard with one pair of hands and one brain.”  
  
Cas held up his hands and wiggled his fingers. “Well, now you have two.”  
  
\---  
  
While no one else knew what was written in the blessing next to the front path to the home of the Sons of John, two people did. Those two people constantly assured the other two patrons of the house that it wasn’t cruel or nasty, despite one’s sense of humor. It wasn’t some inside joke or meant for harm.  
  
Those two people, who continually reassured everyone around them, didn’t fit in; one was an elf with a beard and the other was a part-dwarf that chose to go clean shaven. While they didn’t fit in with everyone else so well, they fit together; and, that was what the blessing said, like a tiny promise, together.

-Fin

**Author's Note:**

> If you write in this verse and it's because of me tell me.  
> If you draw shit in this verse and it's because of this story tell me.  
> You can talk to me here on ao3 or on tumblr; I am unconventional-angel.tumblr.com.


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